I've been reading up on Commissioner Reviews on the site, y'know taking down notes oh how to shape my own soon-to-be commission business to make sure I give proper customer service and product quality and all that. And I've come to a realization, that there's been a recurring problem amongst many commissioners. So I thought, why not have a sticky with information all about the business of being a commissioner? It can be an info resource that many good ones can put their heads together to form.

You wouldn't want to hire a service when the owner never even went to school to learn how to run a business do you? And I feel like that's what's missing. A lot of people are getting into doing commissions because they can make costumes, but have NO idea what it means to run a business. This is coming from someone who has taken business courses and gone to all sorts of information seminars, etc etc. I for one and looking to make my commissioning a legitimate business, not a hobby job.

We have all of these wonderful help threads on costuming, photography, makeup, props, etc. But not a thing on what it means and what it takes to be a 'professional' commissioner.

I'm certainly willing to collaborate with those professional ones out there to come up with a good business guide.

I've also had first hand experience dealing with 'industry professionals' in the beauty industry (A graduate from a cosmetology college) and I was appalled to discover the lack of professionalism from my very own instructors! I'll be damned if I just let the same lack of professionalism corrupt something I love so much (which is cosplay!)